


Hope

by Arya_Greenleaf



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Leia Organa, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-24
Updated: 2016-12-24
Packaged: 2018-09-11 15:14:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8994127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arya_Greenleaf/pseuds/Arya_Greenleaf
Summary: On the eve of her first official visit to the Imperial Senate as an elected member, Leia receives a gift from Bail that has much more history than he initially lets on.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This silly fic was inspired by a ring I recently acquired and is intended to be much more than just, well, this. But, in light of Carrie's hospitalization, I felt like I needed to put something positive into the world. I hope you all enjoy this little bit of an intro and I'll certainly be putting more out in the near future.

“Oh, Father,” Leia looked down at her hand and the bauble glittering on her middle finger. “It’s beautiful. And entirely unnecessary.”

“Of course it’s unnecessary, that’s the whole point of a gift you silly girl.” Bail smiled, the expression watery and sentimental, and cupped her cheek tenderly. “I think it’s time you had it, anyway.”

Leia’s brow knitted together, confused. “Time I had it?”

“Mm. Yes. That’s a special thing on your finger there.”

“I don’t understand. Is it mother’s?”

Bail’s lips tuned up just slightly more at the corners. “No, it’s entirely yours.”

Leia laughed and rose from her seat on the plush couch, “I think you’ve had a bit too much to drink. You’re not making any sense.” She bent down and planted a kiss against his forehead.

Bail’s expression turned serious as he looked up at Leia, the reflection of the smokeless fire in the tiled pit behind her turning his eyes golden. He took her adorned hand into both of his own, warm and big and much rougher than one might expect a career politician to possess. “Leia, tomorrow won’t be easy.”

“I know, Father.”

“The Senate is… not what it once was. Not what it was meant to be.”

Leia’s features set into a resolved shape. She nodded, withdrawing her hand and straightening her spine. She nodded, smoothing out the folds of her robe and retreated to her rooms, fingers trailing affectionately over Bail’s shoulders as she moved around the couch.

The following morning at breakfast, one of Leia’s collection of Aunts at the royal residence admired the ring. “Ah, fit for a princess, Leia. It’s lovely.”

“Fit for a _senator_.” Bail smiled and winked conspiratorially from across the table.

Breha gasped, a delicate sound over steaming cup in her hands. “Bail! You didn’t!” Leia froze with her hand poised to snatch a flatcake from the stack in the middle of the table. Breha set down her cup and seized Leia’s hand. “Oh! We were going to give it to her before she got on the shuttle.” Breha pursed her lips in exaggerated consternation.

“You weren’t home yet and I couldn’t wait.” Bail winced when Breha flicked the shell of his ear with two fingers. “Ow!” He laughed, deep and warm.

“Well,” she turned her attention back to Leia, squeezing her hand affectionately across the breakfast table. “It fits perfectly, at the very least.” More seriously, “Wear it well, my darling.” She released Leia’s hand and returned to her own breakfast. “Oh, and Leia, do try not to allow today’s shuttle to mysteriously be captured?”

Leia’s cheeks colored and she pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about, Mother. The last time I travelled, the shuttle was merely payment of ransom for my safe return from the rebels.”

“Mhm.” Breha held back her own laugh. “Yes, well, I lost my own on my way back from the Yavin system last night.” She raised an amused brow at the mildly horrified expression of her sisters-in-law. “We can’t afford the spectacle of another so soon.”

Leia laughed outright. “Yes, Mother.”

Bail rolled his eyes at his sister’s barely formed protest. “Oh, Rouge, always as if the weight of the galaxy is on your shoulders.”

They ate quietly, the hour of Leia’s departure crawling closer. “Where is Aunt Tia?”

“She left early this morning to deal with Nial’s latest tabvid nightmare. None of us thought it was a good thing to have _Organa_ in the holonet with any kind of negative sentiment so close to your debut in the Senate.” Leia frowned, having wanted to wish all of her Aunts farewell before she departed. “But she did leave that terrible pink fluff-ball behind to keep you company on your journey to Coruscant.”

Leia broke into a smile, “AT-AV!”

Later, there was no more time to stall. Leia stood on the edge of the boarding ramp of her shuttle, steeling herself for what was to come. “Father, I—“

“We’re a holo-call away.” Bail gave her a knowing look.

“You’ll be brilliant.” Breha wrapped her in a tight hug and smacked a noisy kiss against her cheek.

Rouge bid her good-bye in a much more restrained manner. Celly stepped forward with the pink pittin cradled in her hands. She passed the creature to Leia and it immediately took to batting at the braids dangling over the young senator’s shoulders. “Remember, my dear, patience.”

“The relief bill is my first priority, Aunt Celly.” Leia’s tone was overwhelmingly earnest.

“The refugees have quite the ally on their side.”

Bail laughed and turned Leia toward the ramp. “You can’t go storming the Senate your first session, Leia. You have to make them respect you first.”

The gold-colored droid who was a constant fixture in the Organa home clanked down the ramp. “Princess, we are ready for departure.”

“Yes, Threepio, I’ll be there momentarily.”

The droid moved back up into the shuttle. “Keep him close by, for the first few weeks at least. He’ll help you get through all of the ridiculous formalities.” Bail embraced her firmly and then prodded her up the ramp. “Go now. Let us know when you’ve arrived.”

Leia paused for a moment at the top of the ramp, resisting the urge to turn back and wave, to look at the people she was leaving behind. The candy-colored creature clinging to the front of her coat made a soft noise, chewing absently on the precise weave of her hair. Chin up, she moved forward and listened to the sound of the ramp closing behind her.

**Author's Note:**

> You can check out the playlist that I made for this fic [right over here.](https://playmoss.com/en/onheil-ferguson/playlist/princess-senator-general)
> 
> This is my first foray into anything not set in the TFA time-period, oh goodness please be kind?


End file.
